Dara Maclean Just A Bump In The Road...

First impressions are everything. I was first introduced to Debby yesterday on my flight to Tampa. We were about an hour in when all of the sudden, crazy bad turbulence struck our plane out of no where. It was comical for .2 seconds until I realized it was just the beginning of a way too bumpy ride. I've never experienced anything like it. About 3 minutes in to the roller coaster ride I did not sign up for, the whole tone of the plane changed. You could tell panic was starting to ensue and people began to scream as the highs and lows intensified. In that moment, after a dip that left me floating, feet of the ground for what felt like an eternity, two things happened. One, I saw the ginormous opportunity for fear to take over. Two, I heard that still small voice rise up saying "speak the word, pray Psalm 91". I reached for my Bible, pulled it from the chair pocket in front of me and couldn't flip to the passage fast enough. I started reading these words:

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust... No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways..."

One powerful word after the next that literally began to tangibly effect me from the inside out. I felt peace, when it made no sense to feel anything other than that, but there it was, surrounding me. It was like I was an on looker watching the whole situation go down, just in sheer amazement of a massive God that had His arms wrapped around me. Then, to see the word come alive like that, when applied and began to change the very situation?! ! It was miraculous. My favorite part, we hit another rough patch and the lady next to me screamed Jesus and grabbed my hand! I just started rubbing her arm and praying over us both, it was again, out of body experience of sorts...

Long story short, we landed 30 minutes later in Fort Lauderdale because the storm was literally perched atop the Tampa airport just teasing us, so we had to go else where. We are all sitting on the plane not sure whats going to happen next. We could be on the plane for hours, or have to stay the night, it was going to mess up plans etc... Finally the captain lets us know, we're turning around and going back to Tampa!!! Everyone is excited... Except for this man that starts freaking out, yelling, "what if we don't want to go?!!" then I see him look at his wife and say, "I am not getting back up on this plane, we are getting off, I will not go back up in the air" before you know it, he gets out of his seat and starts pushing people aside as he makes a bee line to exit, while leaving his wife aboard. I swear it was like a scene in a movie and he was totally the guy that gets eaten first by some scary monster (even though I don't watch scary movies, you can imagine ;) Also, if I had been his wife, I would have wanted to beat him, just a side note. It was then that I thought, wait a minute, why in the world would I turn around and go right back into the eye of the storm, this is stupid, should I not be on this plane?!!! I had to call my Father, so I did and told him everything that had happened. I then said "Dad, I don't want to miss it here, do you think I should get off this plane? I have peace and didn't even think about anything else until that man started talking all crazy like."

I loved this, My Dad said "that's just fear talking, if you have no reservation in your spirit and we will pray right now, but I don't have one either D, so just remain in peace and know you're protected". I took a deep breath and knew that was right, there was not one thing to be scared of and I was safe. It was in that moment learning about the difference between fear and wisdom.

... And learn is exactly what I did that day in addition to thanking God for His divine protection. It made me beyond thankful for parents that taught me where to run when it gets bumpy, no matter how threatening the circumstances.

Thank you God for peace that is available in the midst of the storm and for a shelter that we run to in You daily... Life is but a breath, but I'm safe and secure in Your hands.

Amazed and thankful,
-D-